


Frigid Nights

by rebsi



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Hypothermia, M/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal, Sharing a Bed, Whump, y'all mind if i scream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebsi/pseuds/rebsi
Summary: Akira falls ill with a case of hypothermia after saving a kitten from drowning, and Akechi has no choice but to take care of him. These boys are Gay.Also, takes place in Royal's third semester, so spoilers!
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 15
Kudos: 151





	Frigid Nights

Errands have always been very taxing. Whether it be for books, movies, weapons, items, medicine, Akira constantly finds himself stopping in multiple parts of Tokyo. He’d gotten a late start to the madness as well, as an after-school work shift was also squished quite haphazardly into his schedule. Not even Mementos could predict how much money it really took to be able to nurse the Phantom Thieves name. 

Akira Kurusu isn’t allowed to slow down, not even in this reality. 

The sun had set a long time ago, and, thankfully, Akira’s last stop for today was in Akihabara. Having to I.D. a mementos target this late at night was unfortunate, considering how long it can take him. Being in the right place at the right time when a rumour finally shows itself through a random passerby is no easy task. The cherry on top was that Morgana was reluctant to come with him today, considering how awfully cold it was. He practically begged Akira to at least make a quick stop at the Yongen-Jaya station so that the cat could bolt from the train to the coffee shop.

“Pay for my train fair, then,” Akira had said. This only caused the cat to turn up his nose and whine, reminding him of the obvious. 

No matter, though. What needed to be done was done. Akira lets out a sigh and enters the Akihabara train station. He mindlessly boards the next ride heading west, towards Shinjuku. 

January nights have been ruthlessly cold lately. Akira has been on this vehicle for a couple minutes now, foggy glasses and all, but no matter how far he would stuff his hands in his pockets, or try to sink down into his scarf, he can not warm up for the life of him. 

There are many things people can't predict about Akira. His deadpanned nature doesn’t help his case. The one thing that anyone can guess in a heartbeat, though, is the extent Akira will go for to satisfy a craving for a hot coffee. 

At that moment, anything, even a hot can from a vending machine, would grant everything Akira wished for. He’s impatient too. So, in the couple seconds till the next stop, Akira decides to get off quickly in Ichigaya, grab a cup or two, then return onto the next train. Even if it means he has to be out in the cold once more, having something to warm his hands, as well as his stomach, would be completely worth it. 

Stepping off the train in Ichigaya, Akira is immediately blasted with a harsh wind, making him close his eyes and wince. Thankfully, he spots a vending machine right by the exit. He hurries over and locates the beverage that looks the warmest. At last, now Akira can think about something else other than his cold hands for the rest of the trip home. 

Right as he’s about to enter his payment, the vending machine slot violently shakes for just a moment. “Huh?” Akira mumbles to himself. His order shouldn’t have come yet; he hasn’t even selected which beverage. Curiosity overwhelms him, so he crouches to see what was left in there, perhaps by a person that came before. 

The last thing Akira expects to see is a pure white kitten, all huddled in a corner, looking sad enough to make Akira’s heart skip a beat. 

“... Hello,” he whispers. “You can’t be here, it’s too cold for you.” He lets the little feline sniff the tips of his icy gloves, “Here, let me help.” Akira tries his best to be as gentle as humanly possible, but the kitten is stubborn, refusing to comply with his advancements. After about a minute, he successfully scoops the animal into one of his hands, and brings it close to his chest.

“Hey, hey it’s okay.” He murmurs quietly, but the kitten is not having it. Poor thing, it immediately begins to hiss and bite at Akira’s gloves. It seems it’s scared of the noises of the incoming trains and the roaring wind. It’s also clearly not used to being handled by a human being. This is going to be difficult, especially since the kitten’s squirming gets more and more intense the longer Akira holds it. 

“I can help! Just--” he speaks to the cat as if it can understand him, “-- calm down, please-- Ah!” Akira can’t help but let out a small yelp as his shivering hands and loose grip get the better of him. The little ball of white fur pounces straight into the surrounding snow, almost blending in with the icy ground, and makes a run for it. Akira watches it run in a sort of shock. He’s getting colder and colder from just standing outside and the chill in his body is taking a toll on him and jumbling his thoughts. Should I go after it? Or is this whole thing just a lost cause?

Akira scowls at his latter thought. Of course he’s going after it. After all, the thought of a kitten as small as that one shivering all alone makes his stomach churn. No, no way in hell.

“Wait!” He blurts out and stumbles to grab his schoolbag. Stepping out of the train station, Akira runs as fast as he can, the heavy snow and the unrelenting winds pulling him back and making his footsteps wobbly. Considering how dark it is, and how he greatly underestimates the kitten’s speed, it seems as if the universe is telling him to turn around, and finish buying that hot drink he desires so much. 

Well, the universe should know by now how prone Akira is to disobeying its rules.

He frantically reaches into his schoolbag to use his phone as a flashlight, and his chest tightens when he sees the cat squeeze in between the gates of the Ichigaya fishing point. His panic turns into newfound adrenaline as he sprints over to the entrance and practically jumps whatever obstacle blocks him from entering. Is he trespassing now? Yes, but it’s also past midnight with temperatures below freezing. There is absolutely no way he’d run into others at this time. 

He would simply eliminate the danger and leave. Then, after that, the two could finally work on becoming warm once more.

This dream, however, completely disintegrates as he hears faint, but horrifically frightened meows coming not too far from where he stands. Shining his flashlight at the array of ponds before him, Akira sees the kitten, struggling to keep its balance as it stands on one of the frozen pools of water. 

There’s no doubt in Akira’s mind that if that ice breaks, and the little animal falls into the freezing water just below it, it will not survive. He needs to act fast. 

Akira puts his phone in his bag and drops it, leaving it half zipped open. Then, ever so carefully, he drops down and leans off one of the grounded sides of the frozen water on his knees, stretching his hand out as far as he can to the frightened kitten. It’s just out of his reach, and the cat stares at Akira with wide eyes, refusing to move even an inch. 

“Please…” He mumbles, on the brink of desperation. Akira moves closer to the edge, his knees now wet from leaning on the ice. The kitten growls at his hand, swatting it and putting pressure on the frozen water that is barely saving its life. It cracks.

“Shit!” He hisses and lunges completely forward, putting all his weight on the cracking ice. He grabs the cat, tosses it onto solid ground, and promptly falls through, sinking into the frigid water. 

Immediately, Akira re-emerges from the pond, a gasping and panicked mess. Thankfully, the ice that cracked is right near the edge, so he’s able to pull himself back up onto solid ground with what little strength he has remaining. 

Officially, Akira has never been this cold in his entire life. Being frozen in the metaverse is nothing compared to this. His hands feel numb, and his teeth begin to chatter at a rapid pace. Slowly but surely, he stands up once more, completely soaked, and can’t help but stomach a feeling of utter defeat. 

Akira lets out a pained, shivering sigh and walks towards his school bag, clutching his arms close to his chest in an attempt for warmth. His mind starts to race about how he’s going to get home, but abruptly stops when he reaches into his bag. The kitten is huddled in one of its dark corners, eyes wide and staring directly into his. Akira doesn't hesitate to grab his phone and zips his bag mostly closed, leaving a tiny space open to allow air to safely circulate inside. His mission is a success after all.

But now what? 

He can’t get back on the train, not like this. Can he even survive the distance it takes to get from here to home without freezing over? He stares absentmindedly into the dark screen of his phone, a sort of dizzy feeling setting into his skull. Akira knows he can’t stay here, as he is still technically trespassing. He should climb his way out first, before deciding on what to do next. 

While climbing, Akira notices that he is definitely more than just a little chilly. Each time he reaches out his hand to grab the next wire, his vision spots and sways harder and harder, almost causing him to completely lose his grip and fall back into the fishing point. He makes it over, just barely, and no thanks to his new friend residing in his school bag, loudly growling at Akira’s harsh movements. 

He needs to get somewhere warm, now. Is anything open nearby? Does anyone live near here? 

Akira’s thinking comes to an abrupt halt. Wait a second. He does. 

— 

Goro wants nothing more than a quick moment of peace. He spent most of that day delving into the gritty details of Takuto Maruki, and this shitty reality he was practically forced into. Allowing his mind to turn off for once, his eyes lazily glaze over a magazine that so happened to lie in his apartment. It seems like the perfect pastime until he feels tired enough to sleep. 

Turning the page, Goro is suddenly pulled away from his thoughts by his phone vibrating. Who… could be calling him at such an insane hour?

He picks up his phone and looks at the name. It reads: Akira Kurusu. 

Goro isn’t surprised in the slightest. Who else could it be?

Clearing his throat, he answers the call. “Hello,” he says in a monotone voice. “I hope you know what time it is, Kurusu. Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”

“Y-Yeah… You’re r-right.” Akira mutters back to him. Why does he sound so nervous? Is Kurusu outside this late at night? 

Akira continues, “Uhm… H-hey, you leave n-near the Ichigaya fishing point, right?” 

Goro furrows his brow. “Yes,” he responds, confusion seeping into his voice. “Why?” 

“I need, uh, I-I need a favor.” Akira stutters, rather quickly. “Do you mind if-if I stop over?” Goro can hear his slow and shallow breathing over the line. Something is definitely wrong. 

He can’t bring himself to say no. Why does Kurusu sound so pathetic? Goro has a million questions. “Huh? Are you alright?” He starts, but then retracts, as Kurusu probably doesn't want to answer questions at the moment. “Yeah, okay. Um. You can knock once you’ve arrived,” Goro says then stands from his bed. 

“T-Thanks. I’ll s-see you soon, then.” Akira lowly mumbles, then hangs up. 

Goro removes himself from the phone and watches as Akira hangs up on him. He couldn’t help but continue to stare into his now dark screen, dumbfounded. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He looks into the rooms of his rather empty apartment. Nothing needs cleaning, as Goro doesn’t own too many materialistic things anyway. He doesn’t have the luxury of owning a washer and dryer, so he can’t prepare any warm blankets for him, if he really is that cold.

Hold on. It takes Goro a couple more moments to realize this worrisome thinking isn’t like him at all. Yes, he cares for Akira, more than he’d like to admit, but the fact that something might be wrong shouldn’t be visibly shaking him up like this. Goro scowls, his thoughts drowning him as he sinks further into the only couch in his living room. 

-

About 15 minutes or so pass, and the knocking finally comes. It’s rather soft, and for a moment Goro mistakes it for a focused gust of wind. His stomach jumps. “Ah, one second!” He exclaims, but doesn’t move. Goro takes a deep breath, and hisses at his own rapid heartbeat. What nonsense, his own feelings are insufferable. 

After his minute to himself, Goro gets up and opens his front door. Whatever he was expecting, it definitely isn’t this. Akira stands before him, in a way that Goro has never seen prior. He is completely drenched, his hair losing its natural curls, and his school winter coat sluggishly hanging on his drooped shoulders. He’s also out of breath, his skin has a red tint to it, and his expression, in any other circumstance, would seem to suggest he hasn’t slept in days.

“You… look awful,” Goro starts after examining the boy in front of him. The statement comes out of his mouth before he really had the time to think about it. What else could he really say?

“Thanks,” is all Akira was able to muster back at Goro. “Sorry t-to intrude so late. I- um-” he pauses, and continues to breathe heavily, “... ran into some t-trouble.”

Goro lets him in, not saying anything more. He watches Akira closely as he takes two steps into his apartment, and promptly slumps against the closest adjacent wall. 

“Woah, hey.” Goro quickly grabs one of Akira's arms and hangs it behind his neck. Akira’s body doesn’t look like it wants to hold itself up anymore. “What the hell have you been doing?” Goro asks, stern but with a twinge of worry. He notices how frighteningly cold Akira’s hand is, and how his expression is now one of pained exhaustion. It takes a minute for Akira to reply.

“Sorry, it’s a long s-story,” the frigid boy stares intensely at the floor, caught in a state of embarrassment. “I got caught up in s-something.” With whatever strength he has left, Akira manages a smile and lifts his head, “I-I shouldn’t be long, I-”

“Huh?” Goro cuts him off, angry by Akira’s stubbornness. “What are you talking about? Kurusu, you can barely stand up straight. Not to mention you look like a drowned cat. Did you jump into the ocean?” Akira responds by hanging his head low again, and Goro can’t help but make a tch sound. “You need to change into different clothes. Can you do that by yourself? Without toppling over?”

“Of course.” Akira coughs, and it’s not convincing in the slightest. Goro leads him to the bathroom, and leaves him leaning against the doorframe. “I’ll see what I have, one second.” Goro lets go and rushes to the wardrobe that holds all his clothes. He begins searching. No, no, no, maybe? He isn’t sure why he’s being picky, and eventually grabs a t-shirt and dark sweatpants. The t-shirt has a Neo Featherman character posing triumphantly on it with the phrase Let’s Go, Featherman! underneath it. It’s the only shirt Goro owned that isn’t in need of cleaning. He doesn’t really have the time to think it over or be embarrassed. 

“Here.” Goro hurries back and hands the clothes to Akira, who looks half conscious at this point. 

“Oh, t-thanks, you didn’t need to-”

“Well I am. Change, please.” Goro’s patience begins to dwindle. How many times does he have to tell him it’s fine? 

Akira drearily nods, places his bag on the ground, and closes the door behind him, and Goro genuinely does not know what to do. Should he wait here, in case Akira actually hurts himself taking off his trousers? Or should he make him some coffee maybe? Goro can only make the instant kind, though. Would Akira not like that? He’s been alone with Akira before, but never like this. Never in such a situation where Akira can’t fend for himself against any kind of danger or unfortunate circumstance. He had no idea Akira had the capability to be so… vulnerable.

Needless to say, it makes Goro feel sick. 

Goro loses himself in his thoughts once more until he’s abruptly awakened by movement coming from Akira’s bag, which was placed ratherly carefully in front of the bathroom door. Goro blinks, once, twice, three times, and the bag shivers again. That’s… not Morgana, is it? Goro wonders, walking towards the schoolbag and crouching right besides it. If it was Morgana, the cat would’ve definitely had something to say by now, as Goro knows how much he complains and complains about literally anything and everything. 

Carefully, Goro unzips the bag that isn’t his. He immediately jumps back, however, as a white ball of fur soars out of the opening and into his kitchen. “Huh?!” He can’t help but outwardly express the intense shock his entire body goes through. He watches the little animal jump onto his counters and to the top of his refrigerator, it huddles into a far corner and stares intensely at its surroundings. Why the fuck does Akira have a rat in his schoolbag? How could this night get any weirder than it already was?!

Moments later, Akira opens the bathroom door, wearing different clothes, and sharing the same blank stare as Goro’s newest guest. He tilts his head in amusement, his face heavily flushed and eyes drooping. “I d-didn’t know you liked Neo Featherman-“

“Why was there a rodent in your luggage?!” Goro wastes no time getting to the point. There needs to be a good explanation for this, or else this may be the night Goro loses it and tears this reality down with his own bare hands. 

“Ro…dent? Ah,” Akira beams with an innocent and sleepy smile. “No, it’s a c-cat. I rescued it from the fishing point.” He looks down at his bag, then looks back up, concerned, “Where did it…?”

“Nevermind that,” Goro sighs, he couldn’t believe Akira was doing such stupid shit this late at night. There are more important things to worry about right now. “You need to sit- holy fuck, you’re cold.” Goro winces while grabbing ahold of Akira’s shivering arm. Steadily, the two of them make their way to Goro’s bed, and Akira takes a seat. 

“It sshhouldn't be too bad,” Akira mumbles now with a slight slur to his voice, “Honestly, we’ve been through much worse, and…” His sentence comes to a halt as Goro holds a thermometer towards his forehead, and hisses at the results. 

“Kurusu… this is telling me you’re at 33 degrees Celsius… that’s hypothermia.” Goro’s visibly angry now, “Why did you risk your life for such a lowly creature?” He’s trying his best not to raise his voice, but it’s getting harder and harder as the clock turns further and further. 

“... I can’t help it.” Akira’s extremely quiet now, and heavily focused on his fidgeting hands. “I-It kind of reminded me of you… y’know, sad, cute… stubborn.”

“I-“ Goro puts down the thermometer on his bedside table, “cute?” He flushes almost instantaneously, and struggles to grab any other words to speak. He knows Akira is delirious, and may not remember a second of this conversation, but god, Goro would appreciate it if Akira would stop continuously catching him off guard. 

“... Don’t call me stubborn. You’re the one who wanted to go back outside, even with how sick you are,” Goro eventually replies, a lingering redness in his cheeks. “I’m getting you a heavy blanket, okay?” He looks back and waits for Akira’s drowsy nod. Goro then returns to his living room, and stares daggers at the kitten, still curled up on top of his refrigerator. It actually looks quite comfortable now, he can hear its light purrs and shifting paws. 

“Don’t make any trouble,” he whispers, pointing at the feline. Then, all in five minutes, Goro warms a cup of water for Akira to drink, grabs a heavy winter blanket from a nearby closet, and leaves a bowl of oat groats and a cup of water on his kitchen counter for the kitten. Goro figures the cat might be hungry, especially after the adventurous day it supposedly had. 

He then returns to his room, a blanket slung over his shoulder and the warm water stinging his hand. Goro slowly closes the door behind him, to avoid making any sudden noises, and sees Akira unconscious, leaning forward with his eyes closed.

Goro’s stomach drops. “Hey, no. Absolutely not,” he loudly states, putting the water on his dresser while wrapping Akira in the heavy blanket and holding him up. The other boy slightly opens his eyes.

“You’re not sleeping yet. Not until you’re warmer.” Goro could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Admittedly, there is fear eating at his insides, a fear that Akira will succumb to a serious case of hypothermia and his heart will eventually cease to beat. 

“Just a little nap…” Akira attempts to reason with him, all with his unfocused eyes and frightening inability to stop shivering. Goro refuses, of course, and resolves to keep up a conversation with the sickly boy in order to ensure he stays awake. 

So, they talk. They talk a great deal about their situation, and Akira slowly goes over his opinions on everything. He talks a great deal about Maruki, how he helped him throughout the school year, and what his personal feelings on the matter were. Through all the stuttering and slurring, Goro hears conflict in Akira’s voice. He doesn’t ask any questions, however, allowing Akira to just drop words with no thought behind them. Every couple of minutes, Goro helps Akira take a few sips of the warm water, and as time passes, he notices Akira’s shaking becoming less and less intense.

“Oh… actually,” Akira murmurs, just loud enough for the other boy to hear, “you never told me where the cat went… the one that was in my bag.” His hazy eyes meet Goro’s, and the other boy can’t help but have his heart strings yanked. 

“It’s in the kitchen,” Goro reassures him, “I left it some oats and water, just in case it needed it, I guess.” He doesn’t know why Akira cares so much for this little creature, but also doesn’t want any more reason for Akira to stress, so he tells him the truth. 

“Oh, okay…” Akira lets out a sigh of relief, and sinks further into the blanket Goro had wrapped him in. “... Thank you for this. You didn’t have to do all this for me. This… this blanket smells really nice.” Akira smiles for the first time since he arrived at Goro’s apartment, and Goro can’t help but feel a wave of relief.

“Hm? What does it smell like?” He asks, standing up to retrieve the thermometer to see if Akira had made any progress. 

“... Like you.” Akira drearily mumbles into the blanket, causing Goro to stop in his footsteps once more. One more comment like this and Goro swears that he might find his heart to be the one that will stop. At this point, they both desperately need to sleep, so Goro hopes and prays that Akira is now safe to do so. 

Taking his temperature, the small screen read a reassuring 36 degrees Celsius, and Goro sighs in relief. “You seem to be warmer now. So I’ll let you sleep,” he says, yawning himself. “Do… you need me to get you anything else?”

“Nope.” Akira slowly but surely lays down and closes his eyes. He’s farther on one side of the bed, leaving room for Goro to occupy the other half. His mumbles are near incoherent, but before falling asleep, Akira manages one last “thank you for everything” before becoming still and silent. 

After watching him fall asleep, Goro makes an effort to turn off any lights that we’re still on in his house, before crawling into the remaining space that was left in his bed. Yeah, he can sleep on the couch in the living room to give Akira more space, but there is still a chance the sleeping boy could become more ill in the night, so Goro makes the decision to stay with him, just in case. For a couple minutes, Goro watches the rise and fall of Akira’s chest, rhythmically soothing him into his own, dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning to write more chapters, so feedback is very much appreciated!!
> 
> Also, thanks to my lovely partner for editing this at 2 AM, lol I love youu.


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